TE

THE PLIGHT OF ARMENIANS* ELEGRAMS and letters continue to describe the awful sufferings of the Christian population of Armenia at the hands of the Turks. A letter from a British resident of Constantinople says:

"Zeitun has ceased to exist as an Armenian town. The inhabitants have been scattered, the city occupied by the Turks, and the very name changed. The same is true, to a large extent, of Hadjin. The ArThe Armenians of the regions of Erzerum, Bitlis, and Erzingan have, under torture, been converted to Islam. Mardin reports 1895 (the year of the infamous massacre) conditions as prevailing there. The tale is awful to the last degree. 1. The inhabitants of cities like Zeitun and Hadjin are driven out like cattle, and made to march long distances under the burning sun, hungry and thirsty. More than a thousand families from Hadjin recently arrived in Aleppo in the last degree of misery, and yet the purpose is to send them much farther."

So critical is the situation that Mr. Morgenthau, the American Ambassador at Constantinople, who, almost single-handed, is fighting to prevent a wholesale slaughter, has asked and obtained the cooperation of the Ambassadors there of Turkey's allies, Baron von Wangenheim and Margrave Pallavincini. They have joined Mr. Morgenthau in trying to convince the Turkish government that a renewal of the atrocities of the former Turkish régime would be a crime.

"Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be

* An Armenian Relief Fund has been estab lished, the treasurers of which are Brown Brothers, 59 Wall Street, New York.

These

saved, but for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened." words of Christ give light and encouragement in the dark scenes now transpiring in Turkey.

"The atrocities being committed there surpass anything that has ever preceded, even in the days of Abdul Hamid II," so writes a special correspondent in Turkey. The massacres are carefully planned and executed, and include the most revolting torture, murder, and a cruel method of deportation that separates families and sends large numbers of the victims to inevitable death. There are even rumors that Enver Pasha is responsible for the pogram, and that a massacre of Christians is even planned in Constantinople.

In one city of Armenia twelve of the leading Armenians were taken out upon the road under pretense of deportation and were then put to death. A few days later 300 more men followed the same path.

This same method is being followed in many other cities and villages in the interior of Turkey. "Women and children, old men and invalids are driven from their homes at the point of the bayonet and sent along different routes covering many days, even weeks, of travel. No preparations for the journey are made or permitted. Children born upon the road are strangled by the mothers, who are forbidden to lag behind the caravan of death. Those too ill to proceed are left alone by the road

side to die.

"The women who survive the journey are scattered among Moslem households, where the alternatives before them are Islam or death. This

method of extermination is going on from Smyrna to Persia and from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Some entire Armenian towns have been depopulated, and Moslems from Macedonia have been brought in to occupy the houses." Can we wonder that these stricken ones join in the cry of the martyrs in Revelation: "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"

A German official recently told an American who was traveling in the country that they were definitely planning to eliminate the Christian races in Turkey. They are succeeding, and there are few to raise a protest, for since the restraining influence of the Allied powers is not felt, Turkey is free to satisfy her thirst for the blood of the Christians in the Empire. Never in Moslem history has there been such a riot of crime and murder aimed at the annihilation of the Armenian and Greek races. Is it not time for America to act in behalf of these unfortunate peoples?

OPPORTUNITIES IN ITALY

EW doors are being opened in

NEW

Italy, and the Gospel is being

the front sharing the life of the soldiers. Whenever possible, they hold regular service, besides they comfort the wounded and the dying and keep in touch with the families of the soldiers and the various churches they come from. Fifty years ago such an official recognition by the Italian government would have been unthinkable. Protestant soldiers were not permitted to attain any high position in the army. Now, thousands are in the army and navy, and some of them in the higher grades. A letter to the soldiers of Italy, published by the Waldensian Committee of Evangelization, has been distributed in 50,000 copies.

The temperance movement has also had a great impetus in Italy. The parliament has recently prohibited the sale of liquor except within very narrow limits and under rigid restrictions. The government is doing this that the soldiers may fight better, and that the people at home may make ammunition faster and save more money toward paying for the war. But whatever the motives, the nations of Europe are learning the lesson that alcohol and efficiency are inveterate foes.

THINKING IN MILLIONS

Three of the Waldensian pastors have been nominated by the Italian minister of war as chaplains for their co-religionists in the army, with the same duties, rights, privileges, and salaries as the chaplains of the Roman Catholic Church. The three chaplains are Pastors Pascal and Bertalot for the Alpine troops, and Pastor D. Bosio, of Rome, for the Fourth Army. They are already at

are

Great minds and hearts stirred by great undertakings. Such a goal has been set up by Dr. Francis E. Clark, at the World's Christian Endeavor Convention, which met in Chicago last July, with an attendance of more than 12,000 delegates from fifteen nations. Dr. Clark, the honored founder and president was prevented from attending on account of illness, but his convention message

was full of fire. He appealed to the delegates to mobilize, vitalize and evangelize, and placed before them, as definite goals to be reached in the next two years:

"A million new converts. "A million new Endeavorers. "A million new church members. "A million new dollars for missions.

"A million new members of the Peace Union."

The convention re-indorsed the slogan of the 1911 convention at Atlantic City, "A Saloonless Nation by 1920," and Mr. Daniel A. Poling added, "A Saloonless World in 1930." The convention was equally pronounced on the question of world peace and a federation of nations that should make future great wars impossible. A strong position was also taken with reference to Christian Endeavor extension among the Negro churches on the true basis of Christian brotherhood. Another inspiring standard was raised by Secretary William Shaw for increased efficiency in missionary organization and service.

PROGRESSIVE EVANGELISM IN

AMERICA

their pastors to persuade unconverted persons to become Christians. There is also to be made up a complete list of unconverted husbands of wives who are church-members, unconverted wives of husbands who belong to the church, unconverted children of members, and unconverted parents of Sunday-school scholars. To pastors the request is that on every Sunday between now and next May there shall be at least one public invitation in every church to persons who wish to confess faith in Christ.

The Protestant Episcopal Church is also undertaking a great evangelistic effort along somewhat different lines, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. James E. Freeman, of Minneapolis. A nation-wide "preaching mission" is to begin on November 28th, and the main effort will be concentrated in the two weeks following. During that time it is hoped that evangelistic services will be held daily in every Episcopalian Church in the country.

It is intended that every

rector in the denomination shall be called into service as an evangelistic preacher, yet no man will preach in his own parish. During the summer evangelistic meetings have been held

Theodore S. Henderson, the Methodist Episcopal Church is setting on foot plans to bring into the Church, on confession of faith, 250,ooo new members before the first of next May, 1916. The first endeavor is to enroll a "Time Legion," intended to bind 500,000 lay Methodists by a pledge to work at least two hours a month under direction of

of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

Another remarkable and fruitful expression of this evangelistic spirit in New York City has been seen in the daily noon meetings conducted by the National Bible Institute, and the tent meetings under the auspices of the Evangelistic Committee of New York City.

I

F I were an Arab woman I might not appear before a mixed audience with an unveiled face. In Arabia we missionaries do not adopt the Arab dress, because American clothes are more comfortable and better suited to our work and also because the Arabs are as interested in seeing foreign clothes as Americans are in seeing an Arab

costume.

As I walk along the street, in Kuweit, in my American clothes, the people who do not know me call out:

"What is that? Is it a man or a woman?"

It seems incredible to them that a woman should walk in the street with her face uncovered.

One day an Arab neighbor came to me and said:

*

"Oh, I have the funniest thing to tell you! A woman came into our house and exclaimed, 'I've just seen the queerest man on the street. He was tall, and wore a long coat and a big hat, and he had a white face with no whiskers on it, not even a mustache!'

"Oh," laughed my friend, "that wasn't a man; that was the doctor lady!"

Come with me for a little visit to Arabia-our adopted country. It will mean a sea voyage of six or seven weeks to reach our home in 'Kuweit. We must cross the Atlantic, skirt the southern coast of Europe, pass through the Suez Canal, through the Red Sea, along the southern coast of the Arabian peninsula to Bombay, and from there take another ship and steam northward up the Persian Gulf, along the eastern coast of Arabia, to Kuweit.